Poisoned Soul
by Parsec
Summary: A drug cartel comes to Townsville, pushing some new drug...will the girls be able to put a stop to it before there are drastic consequences?
1. Eden

Poisoned Soul

By:  Mark J. Hadley

CHAPTER 1:  "Eden"

            The city of Townsville, like any other, has its share of crime problems…but unlike any other, has an exceptional method of law enforcement: the Powerpuff Girls.  Anyone who would openly commit a crime within the city would have to face them, and this spelled disaster for the criminal.  Only the discrete stood half a chance, but even then they found it hard to prevail, for the girls were almost always watching their city, keeping an eye out for even the smallest dangers.

            This afternoon was no different.  The trio flew high above the city skyline, keeping their eyes open for trouble below them, although there seemed no sign of it.  "Nothing," Buttercup complained, peering at the streets.  "Not even a lousy holdup."

            "You know, Buttercup," Blossom remarked, flying near her, "you sound like you _want _there to be crime."

            "Yeah," Bubbles added.  "What's wrong with no crime?"

            Buttercup shook her head, "Nothin', I guess.  Just boring.  'Sides, this is Townsville…I don't care what anyone says, but crime's _always _happenin' here, even if we can't see it.  It's just a matter of findin' it."

            "I guess," Blossom agreed.  "Sure seems like a quiet day today though.  I don't think that…"

            "Look!" Bubbles interrupted, pointing at the street below.  Amongst a crowd people, a man was stumbling through them, shoving everyone out of his way.  It was hard to see from the distance, but they could spot a gun in his hand.  Without hesitation, the girls immediately descended from the sky to intercept him.

            The man seemed dazed…he was muttering to no one in particular, "Yes, hahaha!  I've got you now!…demons, you won't have me!"  His arms flailed, knocking over a woman, who stared up at him in shock as he pointed the gun at her with a shaky arm, shouting, "Demon!  Stay back!  Get…away!"

            Before he could fire, though, Blossom flew in a pink flash of light in front of him, snatching up the frightened lady from the ground just in time.  The man seemed oblivious to the fact that his target was no longer in front of him, and fired three shots from his gun at the pavement where the lady was a moment ago.  Bubbles flew across him quickly, kicking the gun out of his hand, and Buttercup finished the job with a punch to the man's jaw.  He slammed into a wall, and slumped to the ground, out cold.

            The crowed, safe once again, cheered the girls as they landed in front of the unconscious man.  Bubbles approached him, saying, "I wonder what he was doing…"

            "The guy was nuts, Bubbles," Buttercup answered.  "Had to be.  Who pulls a gun in the middle of a crowd for no reason?"

            Blossom knelt down next to the man, examining him closely, and blinked in surprise as she noticed something sticking out of one of his pockets.  She carefully removed it, and held it up to examine it more closely.  It was a small metal cylinder, barely an inch tall, with a tiny spray nozzle on the top.  The cylinder had a purple stripe running around its center, but otherwise, it was featureless.

            "What the heck is that?" Buttercup asked.

            "I don't know," Blossom replied, "but I think we'd better get this to the professor to find out…"

*          *            *

            Within the airtight container, the professor skillfully maneuvered a pair of tiny robotic arms, one of them holding the cylinder tightly.  He and the girls watched through the glass of the container as the second arm carefully pressed the nozzle on the top.  When they did, a small but thick cloud of purple gas hissed out from it.  It lingered in the air for a moment, and then started to dissipate.

            It was enough for the computer to begin its analysis, however.  The professor examined the readout on the screen as the chemical compounds began to scroll past.  "Hmm…there's a thick concentration of…ahh, I see…"

            "What is it?" Blossom asked.

            "I'm not sure exactly," the professor said.  "It's a powerful hallucinogenic of some sort, but the chemical compound is unfamiliar…"

            "Halloosina…?" Bubbles tried to say.

            The professor explained, "It's a drug.  It looks like it's meant to be inhaled…there appear to be some powerful narcotics that take effect if it is.  I'm not even sure what effect it will have, it appears to be chaotic and highly unpredictable…"

            _Drugs,_ Blossom thought…the girls were familiar with the concept, having heard about them from school, TV, and a lot of different places.  However, it wasn't something that they had encountered in Townsville yet…there just never was a drug problem here.  "This is not good," she said.  "Girls, we need to find out who's selling this stuff and put them out of business fast, before more of it starts showing up!"

            "Yeah," Bubbles said, "'cause this stuff is really bad, isn't it?"

            Looking over the results some more, the professor said, "Very.  It's highly addictive…you said you found it on someone?  If they've been using it, they'll probably need rehabilitation badly."

            "Well, he definitely was," Blossom agreed.  "He wasn't in his right mind at all."

            Buttercup thought for a moment, then said, "Hey, maybe this creep can tell us where he got it from…"

            "Good idea, Buttercup!  C'mon, girls, let's hurry to the police station!" Blossom ordered.  The three of them rushed out of the lab, as the professor returned to studying the chemical.  _Perhaps there's a clue in its composition that will help us discover where it originated from,_ he thought.  _We'll need all the data on it we can…_

*          *            *

            At the police station, the girls were let in to the cells, to speak with the man.  He was huddled up in a corner of his cell, staring out quietly from it.  Blossom flew face to face with him and said, "All right, speak up…what is that stuff we found on you, and where did you get it from?"

            "I…I c-can't tell you…" the man said.  He was shivering slightly.

            "You'd better," Buttercup said, punching one fist into her other, "if you know what's good for you…"  Blossom shot her a look…she never liked when Buttercup muscled info out of people, but as long as she didn't follow through with it, she figured it was all right.

            The man looked up at Buttercup…his eyes were pleading, "Just let me out…please…I don't have anything to do with this, I swear…and I…I need…"

            "What?  You need what?" Blossom asked.

            Sweating, the man said, "I-it's called Eden, okay?  Now will you let me go?  _Please_?!"

            "Eden?" Bubbles repeated.

            Buttercup glared at him and asked, "Who gave it to you?"

            "I dunno his name!" he stammered.  "Honest!  I-I just…I meet him in an alley, the one down on Fourth Street…can't you _please_ let me out?"

            "Sorry," Blossom said, "but you know we can't do that.  We…"

            The man grabbed the side of his head and shouted, "No!  I can't…I've gotta…"  He trailed off and slumped against the wall, sobbing.  The girls looked at each other sadly for a few moments, then slowly left the cell.  They got what they came for, but also gave them a look into something else: the effect this drug had on people.

            "Man, did you see that guy?" Buttercup exclaimed as they flew out from the station.  "He was a wreck…"

            Bubbles nodded, "Yeah, he looked awful…"

            "All right, focus," Blossom said.  "We're heading right for Fourth Street.  Let's take a position on the rooftop across from the alley, and keep an eye out for anyone suspicious.  If we spot whoever's pushing this stuff, we'll take them in, got it?"

            "Got it!" both of the other girls said.  Blossom smiled confidently and thought, _No problem…they won't be able to escape the watchful eyes of the Powerpuff Girls…_

*          *            *

            "Sir, the first shipment has been set out," the voice on the other end of the phone said.

            The man behind the desk leaned back in his chair and spoke into the telephone, "Excellent.  Townsville was the perfect location for us…no other competition."

            "Yes sir," came the reply.  "There is another problem, though, sir…"

            "What would that be?" he asked.

            "Well, in gathering information about the town, we seem to have overlooked that there are superheroes…"

            The man sat back up in his chair, "Really?"

"Yes, they're called the Powerpuff Girls."

"Hmm…this could be bad for business…"  He scratched his chin for a moment, then asked, "The next shipment has arrived?"

            "Yes sir,"

            "Good.  Have it distributed.  But tell them to be cautious…get them pictures of these superheroes and tell them to avoid contact with them."  He hung up the phone and leaned up on the desk.  _Superheroes,_ he thought.  _Maybe there's a reason that there's no other drug traffic in Townsville…the idea of a town protected by superheroes probably drove most of them away.  Well, I think it's still possible…Eden is strong enough, and once it's been distributed widely enough, not even superheroes will be able to completely get rid of our presence…_

*          *            *

            "How long are we gonna wait?" Buttercup complained from her position on the rooftop.  "We've been here for an hour!"

            Blossom continued to peer over the edge of the building and said, "Take it easy, Buttercup…this is a stakeout, you know.  It might take some time."

            Buttercup sighed and sat down on the ground, folding her arms.  Bubbles watched the people on the street, and near the alley, and asked, "Blossom, how will we even know them when we see them?"

            "We won't…just keep a sharp eye out for _anything_ that looks suspicious," Blossom answered.

            "Like that?" Bubbles said, pointing at the street beneath the building they were on.  A car had just pulled up to the curb and parked, and four men got out from it.  They glanced around for a few moments, nodded at each other, then split up in different directions, one of them heading into the alley they were watching.

            Buttercup got back up and watched, frowning, "Could that be them?"

            "Could be…" Blossom agreed.  She watched the man enter the alley and lean up against the wall, checking his watch.  A few moments later, a nervous-looking woman wandered down the sidewalk, glancing around several times, before slipping into the ally.  The man nodded as if he were expecting her.  Blossom watched closely and saw the woman withdraw an envelope, slipping it to the man, who in turn passed something back to her…one of the cylinders.

            "That's them!" Bubbles exclaimed.

            Blossom nodded, "All right…I'll take care of this one.  Bubbles, Buttercup…you two follow the other ones…"

            "But there's four!"

            "Two of 'em are heading in the same direction," Buttercup said, grinning.  "I'll take 'em both."

            "Sounds good.  Okay, let's do it!" Blossom ordered.  The three of them shot off from the rooftop in separate directions…Blossom headed straight for the alley.  The pusher spotted her at the last moment, and dropped the envelope, turning to run…the woman he was selling to backed up against the wall in surprise.

            Blossom didn't let the pusher get far…before he could escape from the alley, she rammed into him shoulder-first from behind, knocking him to the ground.  Before he could get back up, she had his arms pinned to his back, "Sorry, but you're not going anywhere…"  _Well, that's one down_, she thought.  _I hope the other girls are catching up with theirs…_

*          *            *

            Bubbles flew over a crowd of people on the sidewalk, narrowing her eyes as she attempted to locate the pusher she saw leaving the car.  _I know he's in the crowd somewhere,_ she thought, _but where?_  She kept an eye out near the edge of the people, just in case he tried to slip down another street.

            Decided to fly lower, she hovered just over the crowd…as she did, she spotted someone shoving their way past some people.  _He saw me!_ she thought, and headed straight for the disturbance.  She flew in front of him and shouted, "All right, I've got you!"

            It wasn't him, though…it was some other criminal that had just stolen someone's purse in the crowd.  He was shaking, and stammered, "S-sorry…I-I didn't mean to take the purse, honest!"

            Bubbles sighed, and pulled the purse from his hands…she spotted a lady not far from him that the purse undoubtedly belonged to, and tossed it back to her.  She wasn't thinking about this, however…she was still trying to figure out where the pusher had gone to…

            A moment later, she had her answer.  The man darted out of the side of the crowd, crossing the street for an alley on the opposite side.  Bubbles gasped, and quickly picked up the purse snatcher, saying, "Sorry about this!"  With a quick fling, she threw him in the pusher's direction…the two collided and collapsed into a pile, sliding to a stop on the far sidewalk.

            Bubbles dusted off her hands, "Cool!  Two crooks in one throw!"  She went over to collect them, briefly wondering what kind of luck Buttercup was having with her _own _two crooks…

*          *            *

            One of the pushers lay unconscious on the ground near the entrance to a small parking garage.  Buttercup, hovering just over him, said, "And _stay _down!  Now…where'd your buddy go?"  She looked around, and saw a shadow darting around the corner inside the garage.  _Nice try, but I see you!_ she thought.  _Probably trying to get out of the back exit, are ya?_

            She circled around one of the corridors inside the garage, to cut him off before he reached the exit.  She waited for him, hovering in place and arms folded, as he appeared around the corner.  He fell back in shock to the ground when he spotted her, scrambling backwards to try to get away.

            "Sorry, pal, end of the road," she said, hovering closer to him.  "Either give up, or I'll have to rough ya up…"  He didn't answer, but rolled over and started crawling back the way he came.  Buttercup shrugged, "Fine…" and flew towards him, pulling her arm back and preparing to give him a punch.

            Before she could, however, he suddenly swiveled back towards her, thrusting something out at arm's length between the two of them…she barely had time to recognize it as one of the cylinders before he sprayed a cloud of purple gas from it, right in her face.

            "What th…*_cough_* *_cough_*…"  She clenched her eyes shut, coughing as the gas filled her lungs.  Taking advantage of the distraction, the man got to his feet and took off.  Buttercup opened one eye and growled, "All right…*_cough_*…that's it!  You're goin' d--…uhhh….whh…"

            She suddenly felt lightheaded, and sank to the ground, landing on her feet.  A warm feeling surged from the center of her body; outwards from her chest until it totally enveloped her.  It was a soft, peaceful feeling…she felt woozy, and tried to open her eyes, but when she did, her vision was all blurry.  Everything was surrounded in rainbow-like colors.  Her legs trembled, and she fell off her feet, landing on her back on the ground.  The warmth persisted, and she suddenly found herself giggling at it.

            Part of her knew the pusher was getting away, but she didn't care.  She had never felt so relaxed…like she had just nestled herself into the world's most comfortable bed.  So what if he was getting away?  Everything was perfect.  She let out a sigh of contentment and just let the feelings continue…

*          *            *

            _Buttercup…_

            The voice seemed so distant…Buttercup tried to open her eyes, but the light stabbed into them like icicles.  She clenched them tighter and thought, _Go away…_

            "Buttercup!"

            It sounded closer that time, and she recognized it as Bubbles.  Forcing her eyes open half-way, she realized she was lying on the ground, staring up at the ceiling of the parking garage.  Blossom and Bubbles were peering over her from above, and Blossom said, "Are you okay?  What happened?"

            "Ughh…" Buttercup groaned, sitting up and holding her head.  "I…dunno…"  She tried to focus, but she felt too weak.  Her whole body was sore, every last muscle.

            "Whatever hit you," Blossom said, "it must have been strong.  Maybe these guys are tougher than we thought…"

            "Or lucky…" Bubbles added.

            Buttercup managed to get to her feet with the girls' help, and said, "Yeah…I guess…"

            Blossom nodded, "Well, that one guy got away, but we got three of them.  Maybe after we talk to them, we can figure out who's supplying them with Eden.  We left them with the cops, so we should be getting home…it's late.  You okay to fly?"

            "I'm okay…" Buttercup replied.  She flew up with the two of them, although it took some effort.  She had never felt this sore before, not even after a monster fight.  She was too tired to figure it out right now…rather than waste the mental effort, she decided just to rest and try to sort out it all out tomorrow.  Right now, she just wanted to climb into a warm bed and get some sleep.  _A nice warm bed_, she thought.  _I'm so cold…_

_TO BE CONTINUED…_


	2. Temptation

Poisoned Soul

By:  Mark J. Hadley

CHAPTER 2:  "Temptation"

          Buttercup stirred her cereal absently as she listened to Blossom's idle chatter, discussing some plan or other.  _Man, is she gonna talk forever?_ she thought impatiently.  _It's breakfast, for cryin' out loud…I just wanna eat in peace, not listen to her jabber on for an hour!  Can't this wait 'till later?_

            "…so with what we learned from the pushers we captured," Blossom continued, pointing at a spot on a Townsville map she had set up next to the table, "they spread out from _this_ point, which means that they're trying to cover _this _area…"  She circled a section of the city with her pen.  "Now…assuming they have similar drop-off points for the rest of the city, that would put them in _these_ areas _here_…"

            Bubbles was listening intently.  Buttercup glanced over at her, thinking, _Geez, how can she stand it?  Look at her, she's hanging on every word…probably doesn't even get half of what she's saying, though, or_…

            "Buttercup!" Blossom said, slightly annoyed.  "Are you paying attention?"

            "Yeah yeah," Buttercup said.  "I got it.  Good plan."

            Frowning, Blossom exclaimed, "But I haven't even _told_ you guys my plan yet!"

            "How hard can it be?" Buttercup sighed.  "Stop the bad guys, right?  Are you done now?  I just wanna eat without having to listen to _you_ the whole time."

            "But our plan is more _complex_ than that," Blossom told her.  "It has to be adjusted for the one pusher that got away yesterday."  She looked over at Bubbles and said, "We let one get away, and he could put out who _knows_ how much more of the drug…"

            "Yeah, we have to stop that guy," Bubbles said.  "I don't know how strong he is, but if he can knock out Buttercup, then we've gotta be careful…"

            Blossom nodded, then looked back at Buttercup and asked, "What _did_ happen, anyway?"

            "_Nothing_," Buttercup insisted.  "Nothing happened.  He just got lucky, that's all.  It's not like I was letting him go or anything, I was trying to stop him!"

            "I know, I wasn't saying it's your fault, I was just…" Blossom began.

            "Then _shut up!_" Buttercup shouted.  Both of the other girls fell silent, and Buttercup glared at the two of them quietly for a few moments, then got up from the table, pushing the bowl of cereal away from herself, "Forget it.  I'm not hungry anymore."  She turned and flew out of the kitchen.

            Bubbles watched her go, and said, "What's wrong with her?"

            "I don't know…" Blossom said.  "She's been acting awfully strange…"

            "Maybe she's embarrassed about being beaten yesterday," Bubbles suggested.

            Nodding, Blossom replied, "Could be.  Well, anyway, let's finish the plan.  As I was saying, we need to concentrate our efforts on _these_ locations…if we spot one of them, I know it's bad for the drugs to make it out onto the streets, but if we just watch them, and follow them back to their hideout, we can stop them at their source…"

*          *            *

            Buttercup flew back up to their room, lying down on the bed and staring up at the ceiling.  She felt so tired…of course, her muscles felt so sore that she could barely sleep during the night anyway.  All she could think about was what happened the day before, chasing down that pusher…

            _Stupid…jerk, _she thought…_If I hadn't let my guard down…he wouldn't have gotten away…_  She shivered slightly… _What's wrong with me?  What happened back there?  It's…kind of fuzzy…I remember it a little, but…_

            Buttercup clenched her eyes shut, trying to think.  She remembered going after the pusher, and him thrusting something out in front of him towards her…but she barely remembered that part.  It was what happened afterwards that she kept thinking about.  That incredibly warm feeling that seemed to permeate every fiber of her being.  She couldn't even begin to describe it…all she knew was that it was the most amazing thing she had ever felt.

            _Such pure bliss,_ she thought.  _It was like I was in paradise…_

_            …paradise…_

            She sat up as realization hit her.  _It was one of those cylinders,_ she thought,_ the ones with Eden!  That's what happened, he sprayed me with that stuff, didn't he?  That creep!  _She hesitated and thought about this for a moment… _No wonder I felt all of that stuff after he sprayed me.  Well, I can't say it didn't feel good…no wonder people like it.  I'd better be careful, though…I just can't let my guard down like that anymore.  I don't care how it felt…I lost a fight, and let the guy get away, and I'm not about to let _that _happen again!_

            Clasping her arms around her for a moment, Buttercup shivered.  _Why is it so cold in here?!  I have to get out of here…it's freezing…_

            Blossom's voice came from downstairs, shouting, "Buttercup, c'mon!  We've got a lead!"  Sighing, Buttercup flew up from the bed and headed for downstairs.  _Just remember_, she thought, _you've got to stay focused.  Remember how you lost back there.  These guys are going to pay for what they did…_

*          *            *

            The three of them flew down to the police station.  Apparently, one of the pushers they had caught the day before was ready to talk.  The police ushered him into a room where the girls could talk to him, and as they arrived, he stared at the center of the table silently, waiting for their questioning to begin.

            "Okay, who do you work for?" Blossom demanded.

            "I don't know his name," the pusher answered.  "I don't, honestly.  He keeps that a secret from us, so's we don't tell people like you."

            Buttercup folded her arms and said, "Okay, so where's this stuff coming from?"  She tried to make it look like her arms were folded threateningly, but in reality, she was trying to keep from shivering.

            "A truck brings it to us," he said.  "At our meeting place."

            "Where's that?" Bubbles asked.

            He frowned, then closed his eyes, "A small warehouse down at twenty-first street.  The one with the fish-shaped sign hanging out by it."

            "Okay," Blossom said, "but where does this truck come from?"

            He shook his head, "I really don't know.  The boss arranges all of that.  We just ship out the stuff when it arrives."

            Blossom landed on the table in front of him and asked, "Then when's the next shipment due in?"

            The pusher glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall and said, "About ten minutes, give or take.  But there's no way you'll make…"  The girls disappeared from the room in an instant before he could finish.  He stared at the spots where they used to be, stunned for a moment before realizing that they probably _would _make it there in time.  He nervously hoped that the police would give him protection…the boss wouldn't like this…

*          *            *

            The warehouse at twenty-first street used to be a storage for a tuna packing company, but the cartel had other uses for it now.  A small truck backed up to one of the doors, as one of the men standing out by it went over and opened the back door of the truck.  Inside were several unmarked crates, but they already knew what was inside them…the next shipment.

            They carefully started to unload the crates into the warehouse.  The man started to hand one of the smaller ones over to someone by the doors, when the crate simply vanished from his hand in a flash of blue light.  He stared uncomprehendingly at his empty hands, before another pink blur struck him on the jaw, knocking him out.

            "It's those Powerpuff Girls!" the driver of the truck yelled.  "The ones the boss warned us about!  Let's get outta here!"  Without hesitating, he stepped on the gas, pulling the truck out from the warehouse and taking off, crates tumbling from the open doors on the back.  The guys near the door ran off as well, heading for their car, except for one, which darted back inside the warehouse.

            Blossom watched them split up and ordered, "All right…I'm going after the truck.  Bubbles, you go after the car.  Buttercup, secure the warehouse.  Now, let's go!"  The three of them headed off on their tasks…as the truck sped away from the warehouse, Blossom was in hot pursuit.  The car weaved it's way in the opposite direction, between other warehouses, but they couldn't shake Bubbles, who followed right behind them.

            In the meantime, Buttercup burst through the front door of the warehouse.  Immediately, gunshots rang out from all sides…several more of them were inside the warehouse, positioned behind boxes, and were opening fire at her.  Reacting quickly, she swung her arms, deflecting the bullets aside easily.  The quick motions made her arms throb in protest, though.  _Agh,_ she thought…_I must still be sore from yesterday…what gives?_

            As the men scrambled for more cover, she dashed over to the nearest one and knocked him out with a single punch.  Without hesitating, she moved onto the next one, then the next, until they were all cleared out.  She paused to catch her breath, then glanced around, looking for the guy who had run back into the warehouse…she spotted him climbing a set of stairs up to a catwalk.

            He didn't get far…she positioned herself between him and his destination.  As he fell back a step in alarm, Buttercup shouted, "All right, give it up already, you…"  She paused, and hovered a few feet closer, "Hey…I know you…"

            The man looked up, and his face showed recognition as well, "You're that girl from yesterday!"  
            Gritting her teeth, she realized it was the pusher that had escaped her, and she said, "You…arrgh!  You're the one who…who…boy, I outta just…"

            "Easy, easy!" he said, holding up his hands, "I give up, all right?  Just chill…"

            "_I'll _show you…" Buttercup began, then clasped her arms around herself as a wave of cold seemed to roll across her, shivering again.  _What on Earth's wrong with me?_ she thought.  _Not now!_

            Noticing her shiver, he narrowed his eyes and said, "Wait, I remember…you're the one I sprayed with Eden, so's I could get away…"

            "Well, you're not gettin' away _this_ time!" Buttercup told him.

            A smile seemed to creep across his face, as she said, "So, did you like it?"

            Buttercup was confused, "Wha…?"

            "Eden," he said.  "Did you like it?"

            "No," Buttercup lied, glaring at him.

            "How did it make you feel?"

            "_Shut up!_" she yelled, clenching her eyes shut for a moment.  There was a silence that hung in the air for a few moments, but Buttercup finally broke it, asking, "So that was…Eden, then?"

            "That it was," he nodded.  "What's your name, girl?"

            She paused, "Uh…Buttercup…"

"Buttercup," he repeated.  "Maybe you'd like to try it on your _own_ terms?"

            Frowning, she said, "What?"

            The pusher reached into his pocket, pulling out one of the small cylinders of Eden.  "I've got some right here.  Do you want it?"

            "No!" Buttercup shouted, shaking her head, "No way."

            "Hmm," he said, rubbing his chin with his free hand.  "You're saying no, but I know part of you is curious…part of you is just dying to feel the way you did before.  Am I right?"

            "I…" Buttercup started to say, but then stopped.

            In her silence, the man continued, "Tell you what…Eden is very expensive, but I'll give you this one for free…all you have to do is let me go…"

            "_What?_" she exclaimed.  "Forget it!  _Keep_ your lousy drugs, pal…no way am I going to let you go over this…"

            "Are you sure?" he said, slowly waving the cylinder in front of her tantalizingly.  She found herself staring at it, and curiosity was getting the better of her.  As she looked at it, she remembered the day before, getting sprayed by it, the feelings that ran through her…she knew that this tiny cylinder had all of that again…

            "But…" she managed to say.  "But why…let you go…?"

            "It's a simple thing," he said.  "No effort on your part.  In fact, it saves you the effort of having to bring me in.  This is quite a deal, if you ask me.  Well worth what you're going to gain from it.  What do you say?"

            Buttercup paused, and slowly, her arm rose up, shaking a little…the man stepped forward, placing the cylinder into her hand.  As she looked down at it, the man grinned and said, "You made the right choice, Buttercup.  If you like it, and you ever need more, just ask around for Johnny, okay?"  He turned and started walking back down the steps, heading for the warehouse exit.

            She didn't follow him…her eyes were glued to the cylinder in her hands, which were now trembling.  She landed on the catwalk and fell to her knees, staring at it.  _It's a drug,_ part of her said.  _It's bad…get rid of it…_

            _But…it felt so good,_ she thought.  _I'm so sore…and cold…I could really use that right about now…_

            _No, don't!  He's just using you to escape!  Again!_

            _Shut up…I'm okay…I just…have to know…_  Her hands shook even more as she rose up the cylinder, pointing the spray nozzle towards her.  She closed her eyes, clenching them tightly, and slowly, very slowly, pressed the nozzle on top…

*          *            *

            The truck sped down the busy street, dodging between cars as it tried to make its getaway.  Blossom wasn't far behind, watching it from above, looking for the right way to stop their escape.  _I'd better think of something fast,_ she thought.  _Someone might get hurt from that reckless driving…_

            As it rounded the next bend, she suddenly had an idea…that road looped around the next block, so she turned and flew off the other way, to cut them off.  She landed on the street near the intersection, waiting for the truck to come around the corner.

            Sure enough, it did.  When they caught sight of Blossom standing in the road, they jammed on the brakes and tried to swerve the car around…unfortunately, the truck skidded, and ended up toppling over on its side, sliding the rest of the way down the street and stopping before it reached the intersection.

            They started bailing out of the cab, but Blossom took a deep breath, firing a jet of her ice breath and freezing the door shut.  The men in the truck tried to force it open, but couldn't…Blossom flew over above the truck and looked down at them through the glass, calling down, "Now then…where do you guys get the supplies from?"

            "W-we just drive 'em," one of them said.

            "Y-yeah…" another one stammered.  "Th-they just leave 'em in a spot f-for us to p-pick up…"

            "Where?  Tell me!" Blossom shouted.

            "P-parking lot by the docks," he answered nervously.  "Please let us go!"

            Blossom heard the sound of approaching sirens, and said, "Don't worry, someone will be by to pick you up.  See you around!"  Before they could protest, she flew up and away from the intersection, flying back across the city.

            She spotted Bubbles flying up from the police station…the other members of the cartel were still in their car, but Bubbles had picked up the car and brought it to the station.  The cops were just dragging them out and placing them under arrest.  "Good job, Bubbles!" Blossom said.

            "Thanks," Bubbles said with a smile.  "What about Buttercup?"

            Blossom nodded, "Oh yeah…let's go back and check on her progress…I hope she didn't beat them up _too_ badly…"  The two of them together started heading back for the warehouse.  It didn't take them long to get there, since they weren't far.  A quick glance told them that things looked quiet.

            Heading inside, they saw members of the cartel everywhere, rendered unconscious.  Blossom smirked and thought, _That's our Buttercup._  But with another glance, she didn't see her anywhere in sight.  "Buttercup?" she called out.  No answer.

            "Maybe she left," Bubbles suggested.

            "Probably," Blossom agreed.  "Well, the cops should be here soon to mop things up, so let's head on home.  We'll meet up with Buttercup there…"  Bubbles nodded, and they both left the warehouse.  _So far, so good,_ Blossom thought.  _If we continue like this, we'll be able to find the suppliers in no time._  _Then, we can put a stop to this before Eden affects anyone else…_

*          *            *

            Buttercup was huddled behind one of the crates in the warehouse, trying to stay as quiet as possible.  She had seen the twisted creatures that had flown into the building, and didn't want them to find her.  She was scared…scared that they would find her, and she imagined all the terrible things they'd do to her if they did.  But now, they had left.  She slowly calmed down and laughed to herself, and then stared down at her hands, waving them in the air in front of her…she watched the patterns of light weave around them and laughed some more.  The warmth had driven away the chill she had felt before, and the soreness was all gone.  _How could this possibly be bad?_ she wondered, erasing all doubt from her mind.  _This is the greatest thing to ever happen to me…_

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	3. Addiction

Poisoned Soul

By:  Mark J. Hadley

CHAPTER 3:  "Addiction"

          Buttercup pushed open the door to the house and floated inside, a small smile still crossing her face.  From the living room, Blossom peered into the front room of the house and said, "It's about time…where have you been?"

            "Hm?  Oh…nowhere," Buttercup said absently, flying in and landing on the couch next to Blossom.  "What's on TV?"

            "Not much right now," Blossom said, giving Buttercup a curious glance.  "What are you so happy about?"

            Buttercup was too engrossed with the TV to really pay attention to what Blossom was saying, "What?  Sure.  Got it."

            "Buttercup, listen," Blossom said putting a hand on her shoulder.  "What's going on?  You've been acting funny all day…"

            "_Nothing_," she insisted.  "And I'm _not_ acting funny.  I just wanna watch TV…can't you just leave me alone for once and let me watch?"

            Blossom waited a few seconds, staring at her, then finally answered, "Okay…fine…"  She got up from the couch and flew out of the room, as Buttercup scooped up the remote control and started flipping through the channels.  _Isn't there anything good on?!_ she thought furious, gritting her teeth at the remote…_ This stupid thing!_

            Blossom watched from the doorway for a moment, then turned and headed for the professor's lab.  She opened the door and flew down carefully…the professor at a table, wearing safety goggles and hard at work analyzing the chemical composition of Eden.  He looked busy, so she waited a moment for a good time when he wouldn't be accidentally startled and said, "Professor?"

            "Ah…Blossom," he nodded, not looking up from his work.  "What do you need, sweetie?"

            "It's Buttercup," Blossom said, glancing back up at the staircase.  "She's been acting really strange all day today…I dunno, I'm just concerned."

            The professor set down the tools he was working with and raised the safety goggles up onto his head, turning to face Blossom, "Well, what do you think might be wrong?"

            "Maybe it's because she was knocked out yesterday," Blossom theorized.  "It could have been pretty embarrassing to her…but I mean, nothing like that happened today, and she's _still _acting strange…"

            "I see," the professor said.  "Well, I'll keep an eye on her.  If it looks like she's not getting any better after a while, I'll talk it over with her to find out what's wrong.  She _does_ seem upset at something…"

            "Thanks, Professor," Blossom said.  She looked down at the chemical apparatus he was working with and asked, "How's the analysis going?'

            He rubbed his chin, "Not bad so far.  I still haven't isolated they key components to the formula, but they're definitely very unique.  If I manage to do this, I'd be able to tell you exactly where the chemical came from.  That should make it easier to locate where their base of operations is."

            "You can do that?" Blossom wondered, amazed.

            "Sometimes," the professor said.  "For example, if the chemical comes from a plant that only grows in a particular region, that will help narrow it down immensely."

            "Great!" Blossom said with a smile.  "In the meantime, we've got to crack down on their operations _here_.  One of them also spilled the beans on their drop-off location earlier…they're getting in a shipment at the parking lot by the docks.  A few more leads like this, and we'll be on their trail in no time!"  She started to fly out of the lab and thought, _So far, so good…this is proceeding like clockwork, everything according to plan!_

*          *            *

            Soaring down the dark alley, Buttercup glanced around several times to make sure she wasn't being followed.  The way that Blossom and Bubbles kept asking her questions made her nervous…she wasn't sure what they'd do if they knew what she was doing, but she didn't want to find out.  She had to make this trip quick, also, because Blossom wanted to go to some parking lot where a drop-off was supposed to be made.

            It didn't take her too much searching, before she saw the figure standing up against the wall deeper in the alley.  "Johnny?" she asked.

            "Buttercup," Johnny said, stepping partially into the light.  "Good to see you've come back.  What can I do for you?"

            "I think you know," she said with a frown.  "Do you have it or not?"

            "Of course I do," he replied with a grin.  "But first, you have to do something for me…"

            Narrowing her eyes, Buttercup asked, "Like what?"

            "Don't worry, nothing too big," he explained.  "Just information.  What are your sisters planning to do next?"

            "What?  I'm not gonna…" she started to say.

            "A little bit of info, for a little bit of Eden," he said, removing two cylinders from his pocket and waving it slightly.  "Look, I'll even give you two doses, for only one bit of info.  C'mon, that's a fair trade, don't you think?"

            Buttercup's eyes were fixed on the cylinders, and she just couldn't resist it any longer.  "The parking lot, the one next to the docks.  They found out the next shipment's going to arrive there, so we'll be there to stop it."  As she finished, she held her hands out.

            Johnny placed the two cylinders into her hands and said, "Good girl.  This may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  Meet me back here anytime, all right?"

            Nodding, Buttercup tucked away the two cylinders and flew out from the alley.  Johnny watched her go, then pulled a cellphone out, dialing it.  He waited a few moments for the person he was dialing to pick up, then said, "You were right, boss…she told us they're going to hit the shipment.  What should we do next?"

            "Change the drop-off point to the eastern warehouse," came the reply.  "But also, be ready to meet with Buttercup some more…for all intents and purposes, she's working for _us _now…"

*          *            *

            Three hours passed, and there was still nothing.  The girls sat on the roof of a building a safe distance from the parking lot where the shipment was supposed to arrive, but it had been quiet for way too long.  Blossom gritted her teeth a little and said, "They lied!"

            "Yeah," Buttercup said, playing along.  "Shoulda known those creeps wouldn't tell us the truth, huh?"  She fidgeted a little.  Her first dose of Eden had worn off a while back, and she was itching to take the second one, but she couldn't, as long as she was stuck here with her sisters.

            Bubbles sat up wearily from the building and pouted, "Can we _pleeease _go home now?  I'm tired…and _hungry_…"

            Blossom sighed, and lowered her eyes.  "Yeah, I guess so.  I can't believe it, everything was going so perfect until now…I guess we'll have to make sure our sources are okay next time before we act on them.  Come on, girls…let's go back home."

            "About time," Buttercup huffed, getting up from the rooftop and flying off into the sky along with them.  She was shivering, and kept her hands clasped around herself to keep warm.

            Blossom noticed this, and said, "Buttercup, are you all r—…"

            "I'm _fine_!" Buttercup shouted back.  "Geez, why do you hafta keep _asking_ that?  I'm perfectly all right!"

            "You look cold…" Bubbles remarked.

            Shaking her head, Buttercup said, "I'm…_fine_…now, cut it out, already!"  She picked up speed, rushing to get home before them.  Blossom and Bubbles both turned to stare at each other…Buttercup wasn't about to tell them anything.  Blossom only hoped that if there _was _something wrong, it isn't something serious…

*          *            *

            Searching quickly, Buttercup dug under the bed for a moment, looking through her little hiding spot.  It didn't take long before she found what she was looking for.  She pulled the tiny cylinder free from it and smiled excitedly, thinking, _Yes!  Ok, now I just need to find a safe place to…_

            "Buttercup?" came the professor's voice from the door, startling her.  In a panic, she quickly tucked the cylinder back away in the hiding place and sat up from behind the bed.  He continued, "Are you busy?"

            "Nothing…no," she replied quickly, floating up and landing on the edge of the bed.  "What is it?"

            The professor rose an eyebrow slightly, but said, "Buttercup, we need to talk for a moment, is that all right?"

            "Uhhh, sure…" Buttercup replied, her eyes darting nervously back to the hiding place on the bed.  "What?"

            "Well," the professor said, walking over and sitting down on the bed next to her, "Your behavior lately has been…well, unusual.  The other girls are getting worried, and frankly, so am I."

            "Worried?  Why?  Nothing's _wrong_…" Buttercup insisted, forcing a smile.

            The professor didn't buy it this time, and said, "I think there is, and for some reason, you just don't want to tell me.  Is it because you're embarrassed over failing to catch the criminal the other day?"

            "Well…" Buttercup said, then she thought, _Good excuse as any_.  "Yeah…a little…"

            "Please try to understand, it's not your fault," the professor told her.  "I'm sure that whatever happened, it took you by surprise.  You can't always be prepared for _everything_, you know.  Just remember, it could have been a lot worse."

            "I know, I know," she said.  She glanced back at the corner of the bed quickly.  _How long is he gonna keep talking?  C'mon, c'mon…_

            "You got lucky this time…he just ran off after knocking you out, instead of taking advantage of your unconscious state to do more harm," the professor added.  "I don't blame you for being upset, but you should just take this as a learning experience, and not be so angry at yourself."

            "Yeah, I got it," she said.  "Is that it?"

            The professor shook his head, "I'd also like you to try and treat your sisters with some more respect.  They've been telling me that since the incident, you've been acting…well, mean towards them."

            "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Buttercup explained.  "I just…I dunno…but I'll be nicer next time, I promise, okay?"

            "Okay, that's all I wanted to know," he said with a smile.  Standing up, he started walking for the door, "I know these are tough obstacles, but just follow your heart, and I know you'll do what's right."

            "Gotcha," Buttercup nodded, waiting anxiously for him to leave.  As soon as he closed the door behind him, Buttercup dove for the corner of the bed to retrieve her Eden.  But a second later, the door re-opened, and Buttercup froze, looking back over at the door, "Wha?  What?"

            The professor stuck his head back in and said, "I forgot to mention, dinner will be ready soon."

            "Okay, dinner, got it," Buttercup nodded quickly.  The professor smiled and left the room again.  Buttercup listened for a few moments to his footsteps to make sure he was really leaving this time, then went for the hiding place again.  She pulled out the cylinder and examined it with glee, thinking, _Finally!  Geez, I thought he'd never stop talking!_  Hugging the cylinder to her chest, she flew out of the house from the window to find a safe place…

*          *            *

            As they sat around the dinner table, Blossom and Bubbles went over the next plan of attack.  "Okay, so we're not sure when or where their next shipment is, but let's think about this.  There's only a few ways they could be getting it into the city unseen.  They could just be bringing it in by truck, but by boat or plane are other possibilities."

            "Okay," Bubbles said, nodding, "but how will we know which?"

            Blossom unfurled a small map of Townsville and said, "Easy, we just set up another surveillance."  She pointed to a spot and said, "If you keep an eye on the docks _here_, looking for any suspicious cargo, you can scan them with your x-ray vision to see if any contain Eden.  In the meantime, I can cruise above town _here_…"  She circled a section of Townsville with her hand, "…and take a close look at any trucks I see the same way."

            "And Buttercup will watch the airport?" Bubbles guessed.

            "That's right," Blossom nodded, then glanced around, "Speaking of which, where is she?  It's almost time for dinner…"

            The professor walked over to the table, setting down a bowl of pasta, and said, "She should be in her room.  Could one of you go upstairs and check on her?"

            "Okay," Bubbles said, flying up from the table and heading upstairs.  She opened the door to the room and peeked in, but a quickly glance told her that she wasn't around.  _That's weird,_ she thought.  She noticed the open window and looked out from it…still no sign of her.  Shrugging, she closed the window and went back downstairs.

            Seeing Bubbles return, Blossom asked, "Well?"

            "She left," Bubbles told them.  "I dunno where she went…"

            "Odd," the professor said, scratching his chin.  "She knew it was almost dinnertime…oh well, whatever the reason, I'm sure she'll be back soon enough…it's not like she's in any danger out there.  She's perfectly safe…"

*          *            *

            _Ok, I'll be safe here, _Buttercup thought, as she soared through the woods just outside of Townsville.  Glancing around quickly to be sure no one was around, she sat down and raised the cylinder of Eden, depressing the nozzle on the top.  As the purple gas sprayed out from the top, she took a long, deep breath, just as she had done before.

            It always hit her hardest right at the beginning.  She became lightheaded and collapsed onto her back, staring up at the treetops as the now-familiar warmth spread across her once again.  She saw leaves falling around her from above, but as she watched, they turned into little more than brightly-colored streaks of light.  For a crazy moment, she thought it looked like she was flying through space, at the speed of light, and laughed to herself.

            A deep buzzing sound alerted her to something else.  Sitting up, she saw them…big, monstrous insects.  Each of them had to have been the size of a beach ball.  She gasped and quickly got up, stumbling away in the opposite direction.  If even _one _of them got to her, she knew it would rip her to shreds…she quickly rounded a tree and hid behind it, propping her back up against it…

            _Oh no oh no, _she thought…_don't find me…just go away!_  She clenched her eyes shut and waited.  Eventually, their horrible buzzing sound vanished, and she breathed a sigh of relief.  She sank down against the base of the tree and looked up again.  The light shining down through the tree branches was glorious, breaking into every color of the rainbow.  The smile slowly returned to her face, and she watched as a bird flew down, landing on front of her on the ground.

            Wait, it wasn't just a regular bird…its feathers were a brilliant gold color, reflecting the light from the sky.  _It's made of gold,_ she thought, smiling happily.  _A bird of pure gold…wow!  _Even though she wasn't quite coordinated at the moment, she managed to dash forward and grab hold of the bird before it could fly away.  She hugged it close to herself, thinking, _I'm gonna be rich…yeah, things are looking up for me now!_

            Feeling the warmth at her core, she started laughing loudly, as she thought, _Everything is so perfect…I'm warm again, I've got me a golden bird, and I feel just great…_

            One other thought crossed her mind… _I'm out of Eden after this.  I'm gonna have to get more…ah, no problem.  As long as Johnny's still around, I'll always have a supplier…but it stinks that I hafta keep helping him…_

            A sudden wave of fear rushed over her.  _What if the other girls succeed in shutting their operations down?  What do I do then?!  There won't be any more Eden after that…_  At that moment, she put aside her doubts…as long as she kept helping Johnny, not only would she have a steady supply of Eden, but she'd also be sure that the cartel wouldn't be going away anytime soon.

            _Yep,_ she thought, _everything's gonna be just fine…_  She hugged her golden bird tighter and closed her eyes, relaxing again.  _This truly is paradise…_

_TO BE CONTINUED…_


	4. Turmoil

Poisoned Soul

By:  Mark J. Hadley

CHAPTER 4:  "Turmoil"

            "It's almost time to eat," Blossom said from her chair at the dinner table, worried.  "Where's Buttercup?"

            "She'll be along," the professor assured her, but then gave a glance towards the front door in the other room, worried himself.  _What have you got to worry about?_ he thought.   _This is Buttercup we're talking about.  She can take care of herself…I only hope she hasn't gotten into trouble…_

            Bubbles scratched her head and asked, "So, do we start eating without her then?"

            "Let's wait another five m—…" the professor began, but was cut off by the sound of the front door swinging open.  Everyone turned to see Buttercup floating into the house…she wore an irritated expression, and as she passed by the kitchen, they were also aware of something else…

            "Ewww!" Bubbles said, coughing.  "What's that smell?!"

            Buttercup glared at them and said, "Nothing…it was…"  She sighed and said, "I was, um, rescuing some animal from a tree, but it turned out to be a skunk, okay?  Now, if you don't mind…I'm taking a bath _right _now."  She continued heading upstairs without waiting for their reply.

            Blossom wove her arm in the air, trying to wave the odor back out into the other room, "Yeech…well, at least we know where she's been…of course, now our dinner's probably going to stink, but…"

            "Come on, my pasta's not _that _bad," the professor joked, lightening the mood for a moment.  The girls giggled and, with a shrug, started loading pasta onto their plates.  _If Buttercup doesn't want to join us, _the professor thought, _then I'm not going to press the matter.  But still, I'm not convinced that this was the cause of her odd behavior…_

*          *            *

            As Buttercup ran the hot bath water, she got rid of her stinky dress, tossing it aside with some disgust.  _That's nasty,_ she thought.  _I can handle the stinky stuff, but man…skunk is like…ugh, rancid._  Of course, this never would have happened if it weren't for the mistake she made.  What she thought was a golden bird she had found had actually turned out to be a skunk…she didn't realize this until the drug wore off, and she looked down to see—_and _smell—the creature she was actually holding.  How she mistook it for a golden bird, she still didn't know…

            Without waiting any further, she hopped into the bath water, cringing as the coldness of the water chilled her.  She turned on the hot water tap some more, trying to make the water as hot as she could.  _C'mon!_ she thought.  _I'm freezing here!  _As things started to become nice and warm, she still felt a deep chill, deep down in her bones…she began to feel that _nothing _would get rid of it…nothing except Eden…

            _I feel so awful_, she thought, lounging back in the water and scrubbing to try and get rid of the skunk smell.  _I mean, I never liked baths, but at least they were somewhat relaxing…I just can't get comfortable here…_  She knew what it was…nothing could compare to the comfort that Eden gave her, and the longer she spent without taking the drug, the more uncomfortable she got.  She had already used a couple cylinders today, but even that didn't seem like enough to make up for the time between uses of it.

            _Is it even worth it? _she thought.  _It's like, every time I use this stuff, it makes it that much harder to go on without it…this stinks, this really stinks, worse than I do…maybe I should quit…_  She changed her mind almost as quickly…_No, wait, I can't quit…I-I just can't face it…it's too painful…and this is so easy to get, so long as the cartel keeps running, so I'm fine.  I'm fine…I'm perfectly fine…_

            Buttercup finished scrubbing, and smelled herself again.  She still stunk something fierce.  Cringing at the foul stench, she began to wonder if, like Eden, she'd _ever_ be rid of it…

*          *            *

            It was very early the next day, Saturday morning.  Blossom cruised high over the city, keeping an eye out for trucks.  She spotted several of them and scanned them with her x-ray vision.  Fish…furniture…TV sets…nothing out of the ordinary.  It seemed like this search was going to be fruitless.  Still, she kept looking, but as the hours passed, it became clear that they weren't arriving in this way.

            Bubbles wasn't having any luck, either.  A quick scan told her that none of the boats at the dock contained Eden either, and though she watched the arrival and departure of boats for some time after that, none of them had what she was watching for.  From her observation post atop one of the tall cranes by the doc, she rested her head in her arms and just kept watching.  Other than a few tiny boats that came and left, most of them took a long time to dock, so after a while, she became bored…but she stayed at her post just the same.

            Buttercup headed to the airport to look, trying to get it over with as fast as possible.  Johnny would be meeting her soon, so she figured she could just leave in the middle of her watch, and be back before anyone noticed.  At least she didn't stink anymore; a tomato juice bath given to her by the professor fixed that.  But it didn't matter…no flights would be arriving or leaving for another hour anyway.  She spotted a small plane arriving, passing over part the ocean nearby, but she didn't give it much consideration, since it wasn't coming in for a landing, and decided it was probably just passing through.  After a quick glance, she took off, heading for the meeting place.

            The small plane Buttercup had spotted flew over the ocean, heading near one of the small boats that had left the docks…as it flew along, it dropped several small packages, which landed in the water below and floated to the surface.  A man on the boat leaned out with a small net, easily scooping up the packages as they dove by them, then headed back for another small pier, out of the way of the main docks, to deliver their cargo…

*          *            *

          "Oh man, where is it, _where is it_?!" Buttercup exclaimed, digging through the room.  After her meeting with Johnny, and delivering her report about the lack of activity at the airport to Blossom, she came back and had hidden her second cylinder in her room.  Then, she went off instead to the woods to use her first cylinder.  But it was hours later now, and upon her return and a quick search, it wasn't there.

She tried to think…_I thought I put it under the bed like last time, but did I really hide it there?  Or did I hide it somewhere else and just forget?  I've gotta find it!  I…I hafta…have…_

            "Buttercup?" came the professor's voice from downstairs.  "Could you come here for a moment?"

            Sighing wearily, Buttercup shouted, "I'm kinda busy!  Can't it wait?"

            "I'm afraid not," he shouted back.  "It's important…"

            "Can't you get help from Blossom instead?  Or Bubbles?"  She was starting to sweat a little, her eyes darting across the room.  _If only I could remember…there can't be too many places it can be!  Think!_

            "They're both out at the police station right now…" came the reply.

            Buttercup clasped one of her hands to her chest with the other, trying to steady it, as it was shaking now.  _Stay cool, Buttercup,_ she thought to herself…_Just go see what he wants…when you get back, you can keep looking for it…just hang in there…_  She finally said, "Coming!" and left the room, heading for downstairs.

            The professor was seated in a chair in the living room, waiting for Buttercup as she flew in and landed in front of him.  She immediately said, "Okay, what?  I'm _really_ busy…"

            "I just wanted to have a talk with you," the professor said, easing back in the chair.  "You haven't been yourself lately…at first, I thought you were just being a bit stubborn, maybe just going through a phase, but I know it's not that.  The girls are worried, and frankly, so am I…especially now…"

            Buttercup threw her hands up in frustration, "Will you guys cut it out already?  I told you all before, I'm all right!  What makes you think _anything's_ wrong with me?"

            Wordlessly, the professor reached into the pocket of his lab coat and withdrew something…Buttercup gasped as she realized it was one of the cylinders of Eden.  The professor held it up and said, "While I was cleaning up the house earlier, I found this hidden next to your corner of the bed."  He gave a firm stare, the kind that demanded an explanation.

            "Wh…I…" Buttercup stammered, sweating heavily.  She took an involuntary step backwards, and the professor stood up, walking over to her.  She tried to think of some way of explaining it, but drew a blank, "I-I…just…th…"

            "Buttercup," he said, kneeling down and looking her directly in the eyes, "please tell me the truth…have you been using the drug?"

            "I…" Buttercup hesitated…the professor knew she would be lying now, and she couldn't do it anymore.  She hung her head and clenched her eyes shut, a few small tears escaping them, and said, "Y-yes…"

            "Listen to me!" the professor said.  "This isn't good for you, not at all.  You need to stop…"

            Buttercup shook her head, "No, I won't!  You don't understand, it's…"

            "…the best thing that ever happened to you?" the professor interrupted.  Buttercup fell quiet as he continued.  "It may seem that way, but trust me, it will only get worse from here on.  If you keep this up, it will start affecting everything you do, until eventually, there's nothing left for you but the drug.  Look at yourself, you're _already_ slowly turning into a complete wreck…"

            Buttercup protested, "I'm fine, I-I just…"  Still being held by the professor's arm, her eyes were drifting over to the professor's other hand, which still held the cylinder of Eden.  It was right _there_, and she started sweating heavily…she really needed it, right away…

            Noticing she was looking at his other hand, the professor held it further away, and said, "Buttercup, no.  You're not getting this…it's time for you to quit…"

            "No, please…" Buttercup begged, reaching out for it, even though it was well outside her grasp.  "…just this one more, then I _swear_ I'll stop…"

            "You've got to stop _now_…" the professor told her.  "Not _one_ more…"

            "NO!" Buttercup yelled, suddenly breaking free of his arm and flying towards his other hand.  Startled, he tried to keep it away from her, but she grabbed hold of it, and without thinking, backhanded him across the chest to get him to let go of it.  The blow knocked the professor off of his feet, and he crumpled to the ground, landing in a heap.  Buttercup, in the meantime, smiled widely with delight as she looked at the cylinder, which she now held tightly with both hands.  _It's mine,_ she thought_…I've got it back!  It's mine!_

            She looked over where the professor had landed, and realized he wasn't moving.  Her blow had knocked him out.  She looked at him shakily and called out hopefully, "P-Professor?"  When he didn't answer, and she realized what she had done, she hovered back in shock at her own actions, and suddenly caught something out of the corner of her eye.  Swiveling to face it, she saw the mirror that was hanging on the wall in the living room, and her reflection in it.  Her hair was messed up, dark circles were appearing around the edges of her eyes, and her whole body was trembling…she was exactly what the professor had _said_ she was: a complete wreck…

            With a cry, Buttercup flew for the front door, flying outside and taking off towards the woods, gaining as much distance from the house as she could.  As she flew, she glanced down at the cylinder in her hands, and her eyes filled with tears.  The professor was right…pretty soon, this was all she'd have left…

*          *            *

            Blossom and Bubbles were heading back from the police station.  They had just finished interrogating one of the capture pushers for a second time, and this time, he was more willing to talk.  Blossom smiled and said, "Well, that little negotiation went smoothly, don't you think?"

            "Yeah, and we didn't even need Buttercup this time!" Bubbles nodded.

            "Exactly," Blossom agreed.  "Muscling info out of people isn't the only way to do things.  I knew that offering this guy police protection in exchange for the location of their main distribution point was a good idea.  Let's let the professor know, then we can find Buttercup and head out for this place at once."

            "Do y'think Buttercup's still out?"  Bubbles asked.

            "Probably," Blossom nodded.  "I wish she'd tell me where she's going before she does, though.  How do we get in contact with her if there's an emergency?  We're going to have a long talk when we get the chance…"

            The two of them descended toward the front door of the house.  Blossom thought it was odd that the door was left wide open…as she went inside, she called out, "Buttercup?  Professor?" but received no replies.  _Buttercup must not be home yet, _she thought, _but did the professor go out, too?  And if so, why he leave the door open?  _Going further inside, she saw something in the adjoining living room, and gasped, "Oh no…"

            Bubbles saw him as well, and cried out, "Professor!!"  The two of them flew over to his side where he lay on the ground and checked on him.  He was unconscious, but he still looked to be in bad shape, doubled over.  Whatever he had been hit across the chest with, it must have hit him hard.  He might have cracked ribs or any number of other complications…

            "C'mon, Bubbles!" Blossom ordered quickly, "We've got to get him to the hospital!"  Bubbles nodded, and the two of them picked him up carefully, heading back out the door at towards the hospital.

            As they flew, Bubbles asked incredulously, "Who could've _done_ this?"

            "I think I know," Blossom said.  "It was the cartel…_had _to be.  Maybe they did it to send a message to us, to scare us off and leave their little business alone…"  Narrowing her eyes, she added, "…but forget it.  Now it's personal.  After we drop the professor off at the hospital, you and I are going _straight _for that distribution point.  It ends _now_."

*          *            *

            The man with the sunglasses at the end of the table smiled as his two aides went around to the pushers around the large table, sliding a small package to each of them.  "There it is, boys," he said as this was done.  "The shipment that was airdropped earlier today.  Make sure it hits the streets, but quickly this time.  Those superheroes the boss warned us about won't be fooled for long."

            The pushers all nodded as they picked up their packages from the table, replacing them with envelopes containing the money they collected from the previous shipment.  The aides scooped these envelopes up as they continued around.  The man in the sunglasses sat back down in his chair…despite the few small hits they've taken from various attacks by those Powerpuff Girls, things were proceeding smoothly…

            Or so they thought, because in the next moment, the ceiling suddenly crashed in, large chunks of wood and plaster landing on the table.  Everyone backed up as two shapes flew in through the newly-created hole in the ceiling…Blossom and Bubbles.  Both of them looked extremely upset.  The man stumbled out of his chair and shouted, "Stop them!"

            All the pushers drew their guns and tried to open fire, but in a fast circle of motion, Bubbles sped around to each one, knocking their weapons out of their hands.  Blossom few around in the other direction just as fast, slamming a kick to the side of each of their heads to knock them out.  It was over almost before it had begun.

            The man in the sunglasses quickly ran for the door, while his two aides drew automatic rifles and opened fire at the girls.  Blossom flew up to one, grabbing the rifle in his hands and ramming the stock of it up into the aide's chin.  Bubbles approached the other one, hands outstretched to deflect bullets away, and grabbed the barrel of his rifle, swinging it and the aide overhead to slam him into the ground on the opposite side.

            Running as fast as he could, the last man tried to make it to the other end of the hallway that lead out of the building, but he only made it half-way.  Blossom and Bubbles both grabbed onto his back, holding him in place.  He struggled and said, "Lemme go, you little…"

            "Forget it!" Blossom shouted, then pulled him to the side, slamming him face-first into the wall.  They released him and let him slump to the ground, as Blossom said, "_That_…was for the professor.  The police will be here any time now to round you thugs up.  Although it's better than you deserve."

            "Yeah," Bubbles agreed.  "You big…_jerks_…"  The two of them flew out from the building as they heard the approaching sirens.  _We got rid of the distribution point,_ Blossom thought, _but it's not enough.  We've got to bring the head of the cartel down, and for that, we need to find out where he is.  I'll have Buttercup try to interrogate it out of this guy later…once she finds out what they did to the professor, she'll be their worst nightmare…and either way, at least we've gotten rid of all the pushers…_

*          *            *

            One of the pushers wasn't there, however, as he was across town, waiting for a pre-planned meeting with Buttercup.  Right on time, she descended into the alley, and Johnny looked up with a smile.  "Buttercup, there you are.  How are you?"

            "Lousy," Buttercup said, still thinking about the whole incident with the professor.  "Things are going really bad…I…"

            "Don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing a little Eden can't fix," he said, pulling out a cylinder of it.  "I've got it right here, as always…"

            Buttercup just frowned, knowing he wasn't about to give it away for free anymore, and said, "What is it you want _this_ time? As always?"

            Johnny laughed and said, "Not _me_…"  He pulled out a cellphone, already open and dialed, and handed it to Buttercup, saying, "There's someone who wants to speak to you…"

            Buttercup curiously raised the cellphone to listen, and a voice came from the other end, "Buttercup…my name is Anthony Gorassini.  A pleasure to speak with you at last."

            "Uh, sure," Buttercup said in confusion.  "Who are you?"

            Gorassini answered, "Why, I'm your supplier.  I provide the paradise you so seek, the paradise that many in Townsville seek…"

            Buttercup tensed up, "You're the leader of this whole thing, aren't you?"

            "That's right," came the reply.  "I have a proposition for you…consider the cylinder my friend has for you as down payment.  I have set aside for you a box of Eden…fifty cylinders in all, enough to last you for a _long_ time…"

            Shifting the phone slightly, Buttercup was allured by the prospect of that much Eden…she said, "Go on…"

            "And all for a simple task…" Gorassini told her.  "Just bring your two sisters to a certain location at a certain time…we'll have a little surprise for them…"

            "Lead them into a trap?!" Buttercup exclaimed.  "You've gotta be kidding me!"

            "Up the stakes then?" he asked.  "Very well…if you do this for me, then I promise you a _lifetime_ supply.  Anytime you need more, just come to me, and I will give it to you, for _nothing_.  And Anthony Gorassini always keeps his words in matters such as these."  There was a silence, and he asked, "Do we have a deal?"

            Buttercup waited, thinking about it…_Blossom, Bubbles…I…I…_  She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath…finally reopening them slowly, she said, "All right, we have a deal.  Tell me when and where…I promise they'll be there…"

_TO BE CONTINUED…_


	5. Confrontation

Poisoned Soul

By:  Mark J. Hadley

CHAPTER 5:  "Confrontation"

            Blossom hung up the phone in the living room and said, "That was the hospital.  They told me that the professor is going to be fine.  Once he comes to, he'll need to stay there for the night, then he can leave in the morning."

            "Whew," Bubbles said, sinking down onto the couch in relief.  "So now what?"

            "Okay, so here's my plan," Blossom said, rubbing her head wearily.  The cartel had proved to be a much more complex foe that she had realized, and it was taking a lot just to figure out how to approach the problem of shutting them down.  "When Buttercup gets back and finds out what happened to the professor, she'll be mad…mad enough to fly over to the police station and give those thugs a piece of her mind.  Hopefully, faced with an angry Buttercup, they'll be more willing to tell us where their leader is at."

            Bubbles nodded, "Yeah, that'll be good.  I wouldn't wanna lie to Buttercup when she's angry either."

            They both heard the front door open, and Blossom said, "Speak of the devil…"  She turned to look into the other room as Buttercup entered the house.  Her hair was messed up, and she looked tired.  _Maybe she's been out fighting,_ Blossom thought.  She called out, "Hey, Buttercup!"

            "Wha…?  What?"  Buttercup said, slightly startled that they were waiting for her.

            Blossom motioned her into the room, "Come here…something happened to the professor while you were gone…"

            Buttercup froze in terror for a moment as she thought, _Oh no…oh no, they know, don't they?  _She stayed where she was, trying to decide if she should go in, or run for it…

            Bubbles appeared next to Blossom and said, "Yeah, those drug guys broke in here and beat him up!  We took him to the hospital…"

            _Wait a minute,_ Buttercup thought with some relief…_They think the cartel did it!  This is perfect!  I'm saved from blame, and then I can take them to that place immediately so that we won't have time to tell the police or anything, and won't be followed.  But first…_  Buttercup gritted her teeth and shouted, "Those…_jerks!_  If I get my hands on them, I'll…"

            "Easy, Buttercup," Blossom said.  "Don't worry, the professor's okay, and he'll probably be back home by tomorrow, after he wakes up.  We've already taken down their main distribution point…we haven't interrogated their leader yet, so I was thinking maybe _you'd _like to…"

            Without another word, Buttercup flew out from the house, off in the direction of the police station.  Halfway there, she stopped and smiled to herself…_Perfect, they don't suspect a thing.  I'll give them a minute or two before I go back, so that they think I beat it out of this guy or something…_

            As she waited, she pondered over what she was about to do.  _Leading them into a trap…just for more Eden.  All the Eden I could need, though…it's just too good to pass up.  Besides, the girls are strong, they'll probably get away anyway.  No trap can hold them for long.  So I get the better end of this deal…no problem…_

            After waiting long enough, she turned and flew back, getting herself back in-character and setting her expression back to anger again.  When she flew in the front door, the girls were waiting for her, and she said, "Got it.  Follow me."

            "Good job, Buttercup!  I knew you could do it!" Blossom congratulated her as the three of them flew out, but Buttercup wasn't particularly listening.  She was focused on what was going to happen.  Glancing over at Blossom and Bubbles, she thought, _Forgive me…just…forgive me for this…okay?_

*          *            *

            The Powerpuff Girls arrived at the location after a somewhat longer flight out of town to a small island off the shoreline.  A single white mansion, the place Buttercup had been instructed to bring them, stood out from the thick jungle growth on this island.  She could see armed guards patrolling around the front of the mansion.  _All right, here we go,_ she thought.  "That's the place," she said, pointing to it below.

            "All right," Blossom nodded.  "Let's bust in.  Bubbles, once we get in, you take the eastern wing of the mansion, and…"

            "No wait!" Buttercup said, waving her arms.  The other two looked at her, puzzled, and she quickly explained.  "If he finds out we're attacking, he'll escape.  The guy at the jail told me that their leader is usually in the back part, and if we go in quickly that way, we can surprise him and catch him before he tries to escape."

            Blossom considered this, then said, "Actually, that's a good plan, you're right."

            "Okay, so what do we do?" Bubbles asked.

            "Keep it quiet," Blossom told her, "until we get spotted.  We'll sneak in through the back entrance, as fast but as _quietly_ as we can, then try to find their leader.  Got it?"

            Bubbles nodded, "Got it!"

            With that, the three of them circled around near the back, approaching the rear of the mansion.  There didn't seem to be any guards patrolling around this part, and Blossom smiled, thinking, _All right, sneaking in will be a piece of cake!_  They approached the rear doors and _very _carefully, opened them, revealing a darkened hall.

            "Be very quiet…" Blossom whispered, and the three of them hovered into the darkness without a sound.  After only going about five feet or so inside, though, Buttercup stopped, and let the other two continue forward.  They noticed she stopped, though, and turned to look quizzically at her.

            "Buttercup, what's wrong?" Bubbles whispered.

            "Shhh…" Buttercup said, tilting her head towards the door they just came throught, "…I think I hear something…"

            The other girls listened, but said, "I don't hear an—…"  While they were distracted towards the front door, something suddenly ensnared Blossom and Bubbles from around them.  Startled, they tried to break free of whatever it was, but they couldn't.  They yelped out in surprise, and barely a moment later, the lights came on.

            The two-story hall was made of white marble and was very elegantly designed.  What was now binding Blossom and Bubbles was a long, thick length of chain, the other end hoisted up over one of the ceiling rafters.  A circle of guards, armed with automatic rifles, stood on the outside edge of the room.  At the top of a wide stairway heading up to the second story was a man in a gray suit, with slightly graying hair and a smug expression.

            "Powerpuff Girls," he said.  "Allow me to introduce myself…I am Anthony Gorassini…welcome to my home."

            "You're the leader, aren't you?" Blossom asked.  "The one behind Eden?"

            "That's right," Gorassini said as he slowly started walking down the steps.  "Here, right in the mansion's gardens, we grow a plant containing the primary ingredient of Eden, that which gives it it's…_appeal_.  It doesn't grow _anywhere_ but this region."  He noticed them still trying to break free and added, "Oh, and don't bother struggling…I purchased those restraints from Mojo Jojo.  They're made of Duranium, and you won't be able to break them."

            As she stopped, Blossom shouted, "Doesn't matter, you only got two of us!"

            "Yeah, get 'em, Buttercup!" Bubbles called over to her.  Buttercup just hovered where she was, though, and the girls looked over at her, staring for a few moments.  Bubbles tried again, "…Buttercup?"

            Buttercup looked back at them, but didn't say a word, then averted her eyes.  Blossom was confused, but then it dawned on her.  As one of the other cartel members began pulling on the opposite end of the chain, hoisting the two of them up into the air, Blossom said, "You…you…?"

            Gorassini came down the steps, stopping next to Buttercup and said, "Great job, girl, I'm proud of ya.  You've done a great thing for us…"

            Buttercup looked up at him with a frown and interrupted, "You've got them, now where's my Eden?"  She didn't let herself look at the girls for even a moment…she knew what their expressions were showing anyway…shock, betrayal…

            With a smile, Gorassini produced the box he had promised.  Buttercup snatched it from him and quickly opened it…as he had promised, it was filled with Eden cylinders.  As she inspected the contents, he said, "I think you'll find everything satisfactory…"

            "And you'll replace it whenever I run out?" Buttercup asked.

            "We'll think about it," Gorassini told her.  "Depends on how well you're staying out of our way, or we might need you to perform a task or two for us.  But rest assured, you _will_ always have a chance to get Eden from us…"

            "Buttercup…" Blossom finally managed to say, her voice dripping with a mixture of anger and disbelief, "…how…_could_ you?!"

            "I…" Buttercup started to say, then hesitated.  She closed her eyes and said, "I've…been taking the drug…I'm so sorry, but I _had _to…"

            "You didn't have to!" Bubbles insisted.  "Just say no, remember?"

            Someone else walked over…Buttercup recognized him as Johnny, and was mildly surprised to see him here.  Johnny looked up at the other girls and said, "She didn't have a choice.  Not after I sprayed her with the drug a while back.  After that, she was ours."

            "Is…is this true?" Blossom asked, staring at Buttercup…she quietly nodded back.  "So _that's_ what happened…why you were 'knocked out' that one time.  I feel so _blind_ that I didn't see it…"

            Finally looking up at them, Buttercup protested, "No, girls, please…you don't understand…I…I _had_ to help them…I had to get more…you just don't understand…"

            "No, but they will," Gorassini said with a smile, and Buttercup suddenly noticed something up by the ceiling where they were being hoisted…another cartel member, standing on a ledge, with several cylinders of Eden in his hands.

            "Y-you mean…you're…" Buttercup stammered.

            Gorassini nodded, "Of course…if I can have _one _Powerpuff Girl under my control, why not all _three?_  That way, there'll be _nothing _to stop us!"

            Buttercup watched in shock as they were finally raised all the way to the ceiling.  The girls gaped at the man on the ledge, who pulled out a cylinder in each hand and aimed them.  Both of them quickly held their breaths as he sprayed the purple gas towards them, and kept their eyes clenched shut.  Johnny grinned at this and commented, "They won't be able to hold their breaths forever…it's only a matter of time…"

            Buttercup watched the two of them, and suddenly imagined what would become of them once they were hooked on Eden like she was.  Struggling to meet the cartel's demands for a few measly cylinders of the drug…doing less and less to save Townsville from their influence…wasting away slowly, each of them turning into a complete wreck, just like she was now…

            _I-I can't let them do this,_ she thought…_I just can't…but…all the Eden…I just…but…no, they're my sisters!  I can't let the same thing happen to them that happened to me!_

            Clenching her eyes shut, she suddenly launched herself at the guy holding the chain, shouting, "_Grrryaaah!!_"  This came as a surprise, and the kick struck him head-on.  He released the chain, and the girls fell safely away from the cloud of Eden, landing on the ground below.  The chain was now slackened around them, and they were able to get free.

            "_What?!_" Gorassini yelled.  "Get them!!"  The cartel members quickly rose their weapons and opened fire, but Blossom and Bubbles were already on their feet.  They brushed aside the first onslaught of bullets, then took to the air.  Gorassini and Johnny quickly ran for the door while the girls were occupied.

            Taking the length of chain with her, Blossom quickly swung it around in a wide arc, using it to clobber a number of the gunmen on the lower floor.  Bubbles dashed in close, working on taking them out hand-to-hand.  Buttercup just stayed where she was, though, watching them, and her gaze followed the two that were running outside.  Frowning, she followed after them.

            They had stopped by the edge of the expansive garden outside, which Buttercup noticed _did _contain plants with very oddly-shaped leaves…the main ingredient of Eden.  Gorassini growled at Johnny, "I thought you said she was under our control!"

            "Sh-she was!  Honestly!  I d-don't know what went wrong!" Johnny stammered.

            Buttercup caught up with them and exclaimed, "_I'll _tell you what went wrong!"  They froze, staring at her as she continued.  "You may have had _me_, but there's no _way_ I was gonna let the same thing happen to my sisters!"

            "We can still make a deal," Gorassini said.  "Let us go…we'll find a way to keep producing Eden, and you'll _have_ your lifetime supply, just as we promised…"

            "Don't be a fool, Buttercup!" Johnny said.  "This is a huge deal you'd be passing up…you want more Eden, and you know it.  And once we're gone, there won't be _any_ way to get more!  You'll have _nothing!_"

            Buttercup thought over this…they were right.  If she put a stop to the cartel, that would be the end of it…no more Eden…no more of that wonderful feeling she got from taking it…she wondered if she could even survive being away from Eden a _day_, let alone _forever_…

            _Well,_ she finally decided…_time to find out.  _She flew forward, grabbing both of them by their shirts and lifting them up.  As they struggled, she said, "I'll have my town…I'll have my sisters…that's all I need."  Without wasting anymore time, she slammed their heads into each other, knocking them unconscious, and dropped them both to the ground.

            Blossom and Bubbles finished mopping up inside, and flew out to where Buttercup was, landing on each side of her.  Bubbles, in a worried voice, said, "Buttercup?  Are you okay?"

            Buttercup stared at the two he just knocked out, then at the box which was tucked under her arm.  She pulled out the box and said, "I…I was about to trade you two…for this…I don't even know what I can say…"  Lowering her eyes again, she added.  "The professor wasn't the cartel's fault…I was the one who hurt him…h-he found out about the Eden, and…and…I just…I'm so sorry…"

            "It's all right, it wasn't your fault," Blossom said, resting a hand on her shoulder.  "You came out doing the right thing in the end.  We forgive you…but there's still one more thing you need to do…"

            Already knowing what she meant, Buttercup looked up into the air…gathering her willpower, she threw the box up high, and once it was at a safe distance, blasted it with her eyebeams.  Wood and metal flew outwards from it, and a dense, purple fog hung in that spot of the air for a few moments before it completely dissipated.

            "We're proud of you, sis," Bubbles said, smiling.  "That had to be tough to do…"

            "That's not all," Buttercup said, taking to the air once more.  She was shaking, and decided just to get it over with…focusing on the garden below, she opened fire with her eyebeams again, sweeping across it until every last one of the plants were incinerated.  The task finally completed, she breathed out and said, "There…now, _no _one is ever making Eden again…"

            The girls flew up to her…Blossom said, "Come on…let's head back, and let the authorities know where this place is…"

            Buttercup nodded, and said, "Listen…I'm sure there are still some cylinders of Eden floating around out there.  It's…gonna be hard for me not to go after them…so when the professor gets back, I want him to keep me locked up so that I don't go out after the drug anymore, okay?  Just until I'm fine again…"

            "Got it," Blossom nodded.  Buttercup smiled back at her as the three of them took off away from the island.  Buttercup shivered a little…she was feeling cold, but she knew that with her sisters around, she'd be able to handle anything….

*          *            *

            "_NOOO!_ Lemme out!!" Buttercup screamed, throwing herself against the door yet again.  The chamber that the professor had constructed was made of Duranium, however, and just as it did before, the door held fast, with no signs of weakening.  At least the small amount of padding over it was keeping her from hurting herself, even though it was stripped bare in a few spots where she had tried to use her eyebeams to blast out.

            The professor and the other girls watched on a monitor, and Bubbles looked sadly at Buttercup's attempts to escape.  "She's been in there for days," she said.  "How long is it gonna take?"

            "I don't know," the professor replied.  "Going off of a drug cold turkey is extremely hard.  But she doesn't have a choice now.  She's just going to have to ride it out.  However, she's making a little progress.  I think maybe about a week longer, and she'll be fine."

            Buttercup stopped pounding on the door and slumped down to the ground.  She was trembling non-stop now…she had been for the past day.  Her hair was messed up, her dress was torn in spots, and her eyes were all puffy from lack of sleep.  Lying almost flat on the ground, she sobbed," Please…just let me out…I'll be good…I promise…I'm sorry, all right…?  Just...let me go…"  She curled up, trying to stay warm, then screamed at the top of her lungs, "_I HATE YOU GUYS!!_"

            As they watched, Bubbles looked like she was going to cry too…Blossom hugged her and said, "Don't worry, she doesn't mean it…it's just the withdrawal talking.  She'll be herself again, you'll see…"

            Bubbles nodded, and Blossom returned her gaze sadly to the monitor, thinking, _Yeah…she'll be fine…we just need to give her time…_  On the monitor, Buttercup was still curled up, shaking, and was now whispering, "…I'm so sorry…I'll never do it again…I promise…I'm so sorry…"

_THE END_


End file.
